Walter J. Salmon ’52

Walter J. Salmon ’52 passed away on March 8, 2015, in Boston from complications of a stroke. Walter was born in New York City in 1930, graduated from Dewitt Clinton High School in New York and attended Dartmouth for one year. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration from the City College of New York in 1952. Two years later, as a Baker Scholar, he graduated with high distinction from Harvard Business School with an M.B.A. He then served two years in the military, assigned to the U.S. Army Logistics Management Center. In 1956 he returned to Harvard to work as a research assistant, completed a doctorate in business administration at Harvard in 1960 and became an assistant professor there. By age 37 he was a full professor with tenure. Walter was a distinguished member of the Harvard Business School faculty for more than 40 years, and was most recently the Stanley Roth Sr. Professor of Retailing emeritus. In retirement he supervised field studies for M.B.A. students, wrote or coauthored hundreds of case studies and mixed teaching with consulting work, serving on boards at many public companies. He completely retired in 1997 and lived in Lincoln, Massachusetts, for many years before moving to Brookline, Massachusetts, four years ago. His wife of 60 years, the former Marjorie Swartz, died in May 2014. He leaves daughters Elizabeth, Joan and Stephanie; six grandchildren; and partner Marsha.